Wednesday is Simchat Torah, which generally means dancing around with the Torah, watching little kids wave some flags they made in Sunday school, and lots of drinking. Simchat Torah is second only to Purim in its association with alcohol. I don’t think there’s any halakhic obligation to drink this week, the way there is on Purim, but if you walk into any synagogue on Tuesday night, you’re likely to see a bottle of schnapps or two (or six). Now I like Schnapps, but I also enjoy mixed drinks, and thought I’d share some nice Jewish cocktail and shot recipes to help enliven your Simchat Torah celebrations. Chag Sameach!

The Ashkenazi–the old classic
Fill a glass with ice.
Float:
1 part vanilla milk
1 part coffee liquer
1 part vodka
Enjoy!

The Sephardi–an Ashkenazi with a little chocolate mixed in
Fill glass with ice
Float:
1 part chocolate liqueur
1 part vodka
1 part coffee liqueur
2 – 3 parts vanilla Al ha-Boker milk (regular milk will probably do in a pinch)
Pour carefully to get that layered effect going, because not only does it have to be girly, it has to be pretty. Then stir it up a little and drink it.

You’re right that there’s no traditional backing for the phenomenon (rare until recently) of drinking on Simchas Torah. Drinking on Simchas Torah seems to be a phenomenon only made popular by Chabadniks and college students.

Growing up in the 80′s and 90′s in an Orthodox community in Brooklyn, the only time I heard of people getting intoxicated on Simchas Torah was the Chaim Berlin Yeshiva dropouts smoking pot off Coney Island Avenue.

I’d claim that Simchas Torah is an intellectual holiday – how can you celebrate the Torah if you’re too smashed to learn any coherently? Kal vechomer (even the more so) if you’re drunk enough to almost drop the sefer Torah or almost vomit while receiving an aliyah (I’ve seen this happen with my own eyes more than once).

At least drinking on Purim has a textual basis. I think we should reconsider the rebranding of Simchas Torah an alcoholic’s holiday.